Fire at Machhkund Hydropower Station Halts Power Generation

A major fire broke out at the Machhkund Hydropower Station in the Lamtaput block of Koraput district on Saturday, causing extensive damage to electrical equipment worth nearly Rs 20 lakh.

The blaze is suspected to have originated from a short circuit in one of the turbines and its panel board, which quickly spread to other sections.

Fire brigade teams from Lamtaput rushed to the site and managed to control the flames after prolonged efforts.

An assistant engineer sustained injuries while attempting to contain the fire and has been provided medical treatment.

Four of the five turbines shut down automatically due to high voltage fluctuations, while one turbine continued running and triggered the incident.

The disruption is expected to impact electricity generation and supply in the region.

This is not the first such mishap at the station; a similar fire had occurred in 2008.

The Machhkund Hydropower Project, with an installed capacity of 120 MW and employing over 200 personnel, remains a critical source of power for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.